Labour MP Jo Cox has died after being shot, police confirmed tonight.
The announcement came at a press conference four hours after the mum-of-two, 41, was brutally attacked outside a library in Birstall, West Yorkshire.
Ms Cox was due to hold a constituency surgery when she was shot, reportedly three times, and left in a critical condition just before 1pm.
Armed officers responded to the attack near a library in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on Thursday afternoon. A 52-year-old man was arrested in the area, police confirmed. The suspect was named locally as Tommy Mair.
Police added that Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen, had suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at 1.48pm on Thursday by a doctor with paramedics at the scene.
Police also confirmed a man in his late 40s to early 50s nearby suffered slight injuries in the incident. They are also investigating reports that the suspect shouted “Britain first”, a possible reference to the far-right political party of that name, as he launched the attack.
Police are understood to be talking to at least one witness who claimed to have heard the attacker shout the words, and the motivation for the incident will form part of their inquiry.
The chief constable of West Yorkshire police, Dee Collins, said there was a large, ongoing police investigation, with heightened visibility patrols in the area. She added that weapons had been retrieved from the scene, including a firearm.
